The book is to be published on inauguration day but I don't see how that is a factor. Having a moderator who:

A) Is writing a book about one of the candidates

and

B) Stands to make more from her book sale if Obama is elected

Is a clear conflict of interest. The fact that is was not disclosed until this late is just skeezy.

I agree that there is the appearance of a conflict, although I'm not sure that she stands to make more if Obama is elected. Believing that she makes more if her last chapter is about how Obama lost because of racism, she could draw Palin into repeated uses of the N word followed by apologetics that, just as much as real Americans love their irresponsible sex, drug use to alleviate small-town boredom and ass kicking, real Americans are rubbed the wrong way by black people.

And turning to you, Senator Biden, I'm sure you agree with the governor since you expressed pleasant surprise at Barack Obama's cleanliness.

I would have to agree on the appearance of conflict. On the other hand, since many moderators can't help but favor one candidate over the other (and given many moderators are journalists...), perhaps the threat of conflict being held over her head will force her to deliberately be more neutral or even favor the opposing side, lest she get called on it.

That's a good point. It's probably no big deal to the Republicans since they knew the deck would be stacked against them from the start anyway.

She should step aside. I don't want my election fun spoiled by suggestions that Obama won because a black woman journalist sold out her sex in favor of her race.

I just don't think that's good for the Jews.

^ Well done.

She didn't mention the book to the debate commission, but it was mentioned in Time Magazine in August, and in an interview with the Washington Post (I believe) in September. It's been available on presale with Amazon. Her publisher chose the release date. The Obama chapter hasn't even been written yet, and he is but a small part of the book about black politics since the Civil War era.


Let the Cons pout and cry. It's not gonna change anything now, even if she did have a conflict of interest or was somehow hiding the book from the candidates.

I printed out our Palin Bingo cards. I'm stopping at L&L on the way home tomorrow to pick up some katsu for dinner. We're ready!

Amusing tidbit, here's an article summarizing some of the jokes made about Palin preparing for the debate:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26991328/